A female hors d’combat and political prisoner, injured and in hospital arrest for almost three years at the Southern Philippines  Medical Center, has been released by a Davao court after posting bail on the eve of the International Women’s Day.

The release of Vanessa delos Reyes, 29, was greeted with applause by her supporters and human rights organizations led by Karapatan. She was allowed by the court to post a P800,000 bail, which her supporters raised through the Free Vanessa Movement

The Free Vanessa Movement spokesperson, Rocky Balili, said they will continue with their campaign until the case against Delos Reyes is dismissed. ‘”We will continue to push for her
unconditional release…(A) revolutionary woman like her is exemplary and her place is definitely not in the prison cell,” Balili said.

Delos Reyes expressed gratitude to all who helped her campaign for her freedom.

As a guerrilla of the New People’s Army (NPA), Delos Reyes was critically wounded in an encounter with soldiers of the Armed Forces of the Philippines on May 29, 2011. She had been in hospital arrest because of her severe wounds that led to her inability to walk.

“I can no longer back to the mountains to join as NPA, but I will still continue to serve the people and be a human rights defender,” she vowed.

Delos Reyes said she is still undergoing medical treatment in hopes of being able to walk some day.

As of writing, there were 300 political prisoners in the Philippines. Human rights organizations are campaigning that they be granted “general, unconditional and omnibus amnesty”. Rights groups assert that political prisoners must be release in recognize of the fact that they are not criminals, but citizens compelled by circumstances to take up arms in furtherance of their political beliefs.